Fire Erupts During Filling, Resulting in Burns; Mechanically Thrown Container, Says Military Prosecutor on Tragic Incident

During an interview on Public Television today, the Military Prosecutor of Armenia, Grigor Elizbaryan, confirmed preliminary information regarding a tragic incident involving an engineering battalion captain who was on duty in a facility. The incident occurred around 1:30 AM when he exited to ignite a stove during a mid-shift and poured gasoline from a 5-liter plastic container into the stove.

“A fire ignited during the filling process, which resulted in him burning; his uniform caught fire, and he mechanically threw the container away. As a result, the fire spread rapidly. He attempted to alert others and shouted to evacuate the soldiers, but the fire spread very quickly, blocking the entrance, rendering the soldiers unable to exit through the door,” he stated.

According to the Military Prosecutor, the officer is alive and is currently in the intensive care unit. “His condition is assessed as extremely serious; he is conscious but has little chance of establishing contact. He has multiple injuries to his face and other parts of his body, and communication is limited,” he added.

Elizbaryan further noted that after the entrance was blocked, several conscript soldiers on duty outside intervened. They managed to rescue some soldiers through barred windows, but then, under conditions of smoke and chaos, they found it impossible to take further action, and the relevant authorities were alerted.

It is worth mentioning that a criminal proceeding has been initiated under part 4 of Article 532 of the Criminal Code, which concerns the violation of rules for handling substances that pose dangers to the surroundings that recklessly caused the death of two or more persons.